Rickets gives Fleita 4-year extension

[seattlecub]

According to Levine. Didn't see that posted elsewhere.

 

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/6925476/the-chicago-cubs-keeping-their-vp-player-personnnel

[JimSorgi]

Under Fleita, the Cubs' farm system has flourished recently

 

That's a nice way of looking at it.

[Vinestal]

Why? Why in the Hell is he signing player development people before bringing in a new GM? This seems really really stupid to me. Fleita is horrible and probably would have gotten the axe by any new GM. The guy seems dumber than a bag of rocks in most interviews I've read from him. Seems like a terrible sign of things to come. Now I'm really dreading the GM signing. If he thinks Fleita is good for the organization we are screwed.

[Vinestal]

Under Fleita, the Cubs' farm system has flourished recently

 

That's a nice way of looking at it.

 

Really? Flourished? yeah, thank God for all the young stars the Cubs minor leagues have produced the last few years, they have really turned our team around. *pukes*

[CyHawk_Cub]

Well that didn't go the way I had hoped. And yeah, why extend him before hiring the new GM?

[Vinestal]

rumblings on another message board says it's because the Tigers were looking to hire him. Well good freaking riddance I say let them hire him. I think it sends the wrong message to other potential GMs when your signing player development people to 4 year deals before you've even interviewed people for your GM position. I get the feeling Ricketts is going to become a constant meddler in baseball operations that he should not be involving himself in. let lifetime professional baseball people make the baseball decisions Ricketts! Grrrrrrrr!

[Guest]

I wanted Fleita gone more than I wanted Hendry to leave.

[Vinestal]

I wanted Fleita gone more than I wanted Hendry to leave.

Yeah this really makes me sick to my stomach. Why wouldn't you leave a signing this important to the new GM? What has Fletia accomplished to deserve a 4 year extension? What?

[Tarver]

Pretty terrible and reactionary decision. Doesn't bode well.

[Rob]

I wanted Fleita gone more than I wanted Hendry to leave.

 

Yup

[Tryptamine]

I wanted Fleita gone more than I wanted Hendry to leave.

 

This

[jersey cubs fan]

Obviously it was more important to replace hendry but this exposes rickets as uninformed, panicky and horribly shortsighted. Does not bode well for gm search or future of this team. Should have made changes year ago.

[UMFan83]

You fire the GM and then before hiring a new one resign the mediocre farm director.

 

I bet Crane Kenney had something to do with this.

[dfnowak]

Unbelievable...looks like both Fleita and Wilken will be forced upon the next GM. Thats not the right way to run a baseball organization. Should I assume that Sandberg will be the next manager too?

[dfnowak]

Obviously it was more important to replace hendry but this exposes rickets as uninformed, panicky and horribly shortsighted. Does not bode well for gm search or future of this team. Should have made changes year ago.

 

You can probably kiss the chances of bringing in Epstein, Cashman and Freidman goodbye. Ned Coletti anyone?

[Outshined_One]

WHY

[Illini Iceman]

Not sure I understand the hate for Fleita. IMO the GM would be most responsible for the organizational philosophy and those underneath him would just implement that philosophy.

 

If Fleita is given new marching orders about how to develop the players it would be his job to advise the minor league personnel accordingly so I think he would take the direction of whoever is the new GM.

 

It is kind of annoying about how he talks up every prospect, but I would expect him to promote the minor league system so I am not sure it is realistic to expect him to give the media honest evaluations of the players.

[dfnowak]

Not sure I understand the hate for Fleita. IMO the GM would be most responsible for the organizational philosophy and those underneath him would just implement that philosophy.

 

If Fleita is given new marching orders about how to develop the players it would be his job to advise the minor league personnel accordingly so I think he would take the direction of whoever is the new GM.

 

It is kind of annoying about how he talks up every prospect, but I would expect him to promote the minor league system so I am not sure it is realistic to expect him to give the media honest evaluations of the players.

 

But, isn't the GM position more appealing if the GM is able to bring in his own guy for Fleita's position? Even Ricketts said at the Hendry firing press conference that the new GM would make the call on Fleita and Wilken.

[Guest]

I don't really care about the inane quotes in the press.

 

What I care about is:

• the general lack of players exceeding expectations from their draft status
  
• Far too many players failing to live up to their draft expectations
  
• The apparent disdain for the use of technology within the organization in evaluating players and directing their development
  
• Some differences in philosophy in when to promote various players
  
• "Camp Colvin" simply highlights the general lack of attention to strength and conditioning training within the organization

It is certainly possible that all of the above was driven by Hendry. It's certainly possible that a new GM can fix the above issues, along with installing an approach-driven hitting development throughout the system.

 

But I don't see the need to give Fleita a four year extension based on past results. I had anticipated Fleita and Wilken sticking around for a year as the new guy picked his own people. A four year extension is ridiculous, though.

[Outshined_One]

Not sure I understand the hate for Fleita. IMO the GM would be most responsible for the organizational philosophy and those underneath him would just implement that philosophy.

 

If Fleita is given new marching orders about how to develop the players it would be his job to advise the minor league personnel accordingly so I think he would take the direction of whoever is the new GM.

 

It is kind of annoying about how he talks up every prospect, but I would expect him to promote the minor league system so I am not sure it is realistic to expect him to give the media honest evaluations of the players.

 

I can understand that sentiment, but one of the major problems I have with this move is that it signals an unwillingness to change the organizational philosophy. I'll give Fleita credit where credit is due; the Cubs have done a really good job of developing pitchers during his tenure and he has overseen a Cubs farm system that has undergone a resurgence during his tenure. There is something to be said for those successes.

 

However, when I read things like this:

 

One thing I have noticed about the Cubs Player Development Dept that does not reflect favorably on Oneri Fleita is the apparent disinterest in using technology to help assess player development.

 

For example, most every other team out here has a qualified tech-geek in charge of video-recording the pitchers and the hitters at Minor League Camp, Extended Spring Training, AZL, and Instructs, but the Cubs only do it occasionally (they were video-recording Hayden Simpson a couple of weeks ago), and when they do employ video, it's usually done by one of the minor league pitchers equipped with a camera phone.

 

A coach from one of the other teams thought that was a real hoot.

 

Also, several teams out here use a system where the pitcher "charting" the game from behind home plate inputs the pitch-by-pitch information (type of pitch, velocity, outcome) directly into a lap-top using software that is specifically designed to analyze the pitcher's outing, and the Player Development staff can immediately access the info from anywhere in the world.

 

The Cubs pitchers keep pitching charts by hand (pencil & paper).

 

I worry. Perhaps this is a result of budgetary restrictions, but considering the gloves came off in the draft this year, I have some doubts. Recent advances in technology have given coaches and players so many more tools to help their development that it would be incredibly foolish to ignore them. If the Cubs are taking video of pitchers to help determine weaknesses in their mechanics, I don't want that video taken with a freaking cell phone camera.

 

There's also the matter of the Cubs having a knack of developing players who seem allergic to taking walks. Perhaps it's been a result of the Cubs targeting those players as it relates to drafting/amateur scouting (that's another post for another time), but we have seen so many players come through the minors who swing at awful pitches and who couldn't take a walk if their lives depended on it. If that's an organizational philosophy problem, then why keep Fleita on board when he's been the one responsible for implementing it for so long? Doesn't that signal an unwillingness to change?

[Tarver]

Not sure I understand the hate for Fleita. IMO the GM would be most responsible for the organizational philosophy and those underneath him would just implement that philosophy.

 

If Fleita is given new marching orders about how to develop the players it would be his job to advise the minor league personnel accordingly so I think he would take the direction of whoever is the new GM.

 

It is kind of annoying about how he talks up every prospect, but I would expect him to promote the minor league system so I am not sure it is realistic to expect him to give the media honest evaluations of the players.

 

I can understand that sentiment, but one of the major problems I have with this move is that it signals an unwillingness to change the organizational philosophy. I'll give Fleita credit where credit is due; the Cubs have done a really good job of developing pitchers during his tenure and he has overseen a Cubs farm system that has undergone a resurgence during his tenure. There is something to be said for those successes.

 

However, when I read things like this:

 

One thing I have noticed about the Cubs Player Development Dept that does not reflect favorably on Oneri Fleita is the apparent disinterest in using technology to help assess player development.

 

For example, most every other team out here has a qualified tech-geek in charge of video-recording the pitchers and the hitters at Minor League Camp, Extended Spring Training, AZL, and Instructs, but the Cubs only do it occasionally (they were video-recording Hayden Simpson a couple of weeks ago), and when they do employ video, it's usually done by one of the minor league pitchers equipped with a camera phone.

 

A coach from one of the other teams thought that was a real hoot.

 

Also, several teams out here use a system where the pitcher "charting" the game from behind home plate inputs the pitch-by-pitch information (type of pitch, velocity, outcome) directly into a lap-top using software that is specifically designed to analyze the pitcher's outing, and the Player Development staff can immediately access the info from anywhere in the world.

 

The Cubs pitchers keep pitching charts by hand (pencil & paper).

 

I worry. Perhaps this is a result of budgetary restrictions, but considering the gloves came off in the draft this year, I have some doubts. Recent advances in technology have given coaches and players so many more tools to help their development that it would be incredibly foolish to ignore them. If the Cubs are taking video of pitchers to help determine weaknesses in their mechanics, I don't want that video taken with a freaking cell phone camera.

 

There's also the matter of the Cubs having a knack of developing players who seem allergic to taking walks. Perhaps it's been a result of the Cubs targeting those players as it relates to drafting/amateur scouting (that's another post for another time), but we have seen so many players come through the minors who swing at awful pitches and who couldn't take a walk if their lives depended on it. If that's an organizational philosophy problem, then why keep Fleita on board when he's been the one responsible for implementing it for so long? Doesn't that signal an unwillingness to change?

 

That's just disgusting. The new GM had better have carte blanche to eliminate/replace as many people as he sees fit. That's just staggeringly incompetent.

[dfnowak]

Id like Ricketts to be asked at the next press conference how extending Fleita is consistent w/ his desire to become a more statistical and technological based baseball organization, but I wont hold my breath.

[Illini Iceman]

I don't really care about the inane quotes in the press.

 

What I care about is:

• the general lack of players exceeding expectations from their draft status
  
• Far too many players failing to live up to their draft expectations
  
• The apparent disdain for the use of technology within the organization in evaluating players and directing their development
  
• Some differences in philosophy in when to promote various players
  
• "Camp Colvin" simply highlights the general lack of attention to strength and conditioning training within the organization

It is certainly possible that all of the above was driven by Hendry. It's certainly possible that a new GM can fix the above issues, along with installing an approach-driven hitting development throughout the system.

 

But I don't see the need to give Fleita a four year extension based on past results. I had anticipated Fleita and Wilken sticking around for a year as the new guy picked his own people. A four year extension is ridiculous, though.

 

The 4 years is kind of odd. Maybe it is what the Tigers were offering and Ricketts felt he needed to match it. The thought process may have been that to start over with a new GM and new VP of player personnel the organization would be at a disadvantage because both would be learning all the players from scratch.

 

What does someone like Fleita make per year? With the amount teams spend to waive players (like potentially Zambrano) with huge contracts still outstanding it doesn't seem like in the big picture it would be such a huge financial risk to potentially let him go with 3 years left on his contract if the new GM decides after the first year that Fleita is not up to his standards.

[TruffleShuffle]

Obviously it was more important to replace hendry but this exposes rickets as uninformed, panicky and horribly shortsighted. Does not bode well for gm search or future of this team. Should have made changes year ago.

 

You can probably kiss the chances of bringing in Epstein, Cashman and Freidman goodbye. Ned Coletti anyone?

 

come on.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Good move. Smart organizations try to keep young tapers, player of suit.

 

I think were going to lose Wilken. Gut call, because I base it on nothing.